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The Majority Seven

In Austin’s history, only 16 women have occupied a seat on the City Council. Last January, seven were sworn in all at once. Sweeping, systematic changes to the City Council sparked a startling number of milestones for the City of Austin’s local governing body. Austinites elected the first Latina in Council Member Delia Garza, the youngest Council member to ever serve in Councilman Greg Casar, the youngest female to ever serve in Council Member Ellen Troxclair and, staggeringly, the first-ever female majority.

When a referendum was introduced in 2012 to change the Council’s representation system from at-large to district-based, advocates for the change promised new voices at City Hall, something they argued Austin, as the largest city in the United States without geographic representation, needed desperately to reflect its burgeoning population and shifting demographics. The new 10-1 system increased the number of Austin City Council members from seven at-large members to 10 based on geographically drawn districts. This expansion caused an avalanche of candidates to emerge and a windfall of runoff elections in races for seven of the 10 newly formed districts.

After a blistering campaign season, the voices of voting Austinites were heard, and a very new City Council started to take shape last year. Now a year into their terms, these seven women, along with Mayor Steve Adler and their three male counterparts, continue to face issues ranging from affordability and the cost of living, to transportation and public safety. Each district faces its own unique patchwork of wants and needs, and these seven women thrive on finding the common thread that will tie their communities and the people of Austin together.   

 

Ora Houston

District 1

Living in the East Austin home her parents built in 1954, Ora Houston called District 1 home long before the new district lines were drawn. She grew up as a student at Blackshear Elementary School, Kealing Middle School and the “old” L.C. Anderson High School, and that firsthand experience in her community is what pushes her to visit various churches every Sunday, encouraging the people in her district to use their voices at City Hall.

“District 1 is really a very wonderfully blended family. We’ve got a lot of diversity in the district, not only ethnic and cultural, but with gender and education. We have people who are very high income and people who are very low income. We’ve got the most gentrified neighborhood in the United States, and places where the poverty rate is 25 percent and the unemployment rate is in double digits. We have people who have been incarcerated. We have a very conservative part of the district and we have a very progressive part of the district. We have bikers. We have pedestrians. We have people who come from very far away. We’ve got a large Vietnamese Catholic church and a Christian Chinese church that has service in Mandarin and Cantonese. We’ve got people from Ethiopia. District 1 is very diverse.”

“People who are being forced out of their neighborhoods where they’ve lived for years is a concern in District 1. This is especially [true] for my elderly folks, and we have many of them in District 1. We talk about the silver tsunami. A lot of these people live in District 1, and they’re being systematically forced out with very few resources for them to be able to find housing that’s close to medical centers or grocery stores or transportation. The city grew so fast that it didn’t consider the people in District 1. My district is the second-largest district in the city. What we have in our 46 square miles is fairly diverse, and people who have lived here are now seeing that they are not able to pay the property taxes, and they’re having difficulties.”

“If you have to work with men, then you have to work with men. If they happen to be all women, you work with all women. I don’t see that there’s a difference. We’re all people, and we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, and so we play to our strengths and have people to help us with our weaknesses.” 

 

Delia Garza

District 2

As a former firefighter in the Austin Fire Department, Delia Garza is no stranger to putting out fires (literally). She followed in the footsteps of her father, who was also a firefighter, and ended up being one of the first Mexican-American female firefighters in Austin. That background in emergency management helped her keep her cool when it emerged last year that an embarrassing training session had taken place to teach City employees how to interact with the City Council’s new female majority. Also a former assistant attorney general, Garza responded to the incident with the same poise and intellect voters recognized when they filled out their ballots.

“My district is the most Hispanic district, which I love representing. The population of Hispanics is 69 percent in District 2. It’s also one of the lower-income districts. The median income is close to $38,000. It’s just amazing that people can still afford to live in Austin with that kind of income. We have many working- class and middle-class families.”

“I want to protect people who have been born and raised here. I can’t imagine being born and raised in the city which was so livable and now you cannot afford to live here anymore. Everybody is feeling the pains of affordability. Everyone’s property-tax bill is going up. Some people are able to handle that pressure a little bit easier than others. For people in my district, an extra expense of $100 a month will strain them. For people in other districts, it won’t be as strained. But I don’t want us to become a San Francisco, a city of wealthy folks. That’s my biggest fear. One of the great things about Austin is its diversity and all kinds of people. We can’t just be a city of wealthy folks. We have to be a mix.”

“There are a lot of firsts on this Council. I’m the first Hispanic female. Ellen Troxclair is the youngest woman. Greg Casar is the youngest. We have the first three Hispanics and the first female majority. I think it’s a big deal. When I go speak to schools, it makes a difference to a little girl that she’s looking up at her Council member that looks like her.” 

 

Ann Kitchen

District 5

When Ann Kitchen met her fellow female Council members, she decided to do things a little differently. Instead of lapel pins, an accessory commonly worn by men in public office, Kitchen and the other women chose to wear necklaces to represent their newly elected roles. For Kitchen, addressing issues such as quality of life or flood prevention and mitigation from a different perspective shapes every decision she makes.

“District 5 is South Austin, so that means something to people that live in South Austin. People are proud to be South Austinites. Now, maybe that’s the same for other parts of the city. I don’t know. I don’t know if North Austinites feel like that, but people in South Austin like to identify themselves as South Austinites.”

“Transportation is a huge part of this overarching issue of quality of life for everyone. There is no way that we can all get in our cars and be on the same road at the same time and expect to get there any time soon. We have to come up with options so that people can get places in different ways. Those options may be a car, a bus, walking, a bike, a taxi or a transportation- network company. The issue with transportation-network companies [such as Uber and Lyft] has never been about forcing them out of town. That is a gross mischaracterization. We have companies that want the City to change how it approaches public safety just to fit their business model. The history in Austin for vehicles for hire is requiring fingerprints. The reason for that is because fingerprints are 99.6 percent effective in matching the person to who they are. Why wouldn’t we want to do that when at least one of these companies is doing it in another city? In Houston, they comply. It’s about public safety.”

“I think that being the first 10-1 Council with seven women, which is huge, combined with the male Council members and mayor, supports the way that this Council is working together. We’re working in an environment that is professional and collaborative, and maybe we don’t agree, but we can work with each other. In politics, that’s big. It’s really big.” 

 

Leslie Pool

District 7

When Leslie Pool needs beautification inspiration, she might take a few cues from Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope from the hit television show Parks and Recreation. A longtime Austinite and civic leader who once worked for late U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Pool believes in a bigger and better vision for Austin, which includes working on her district’s Burnet Road Corridor study and making sure she attends as many neighborhood meetings as possible.

“District 7, given its geography and how it’s evolved and developed over time, is quintessential. The lower portion includes some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, and, of course, the city grew from this Central section out and above, and then south of the river. The home that I live in was built in 1954, which was a year before I was born. When I bought my house, there were a number of elderly folks who lived on either side of me and across the street. In the years that I’ve lived there, the people have moved out or passed on themselves, and now we have different generations coming in to live in those homes.”

“My larger vision for the city as a whole is parks. It could very well be a long-term legacy. When I was asked what one thing would I like to point back to and count as something that I did if I were elected, it was parks. It was to be able to say that I have done a good assessment of our parks and worked with all the various stakeholders and the professional staff and my colleagues on [the] Council to take a step or two or three further down the road so that we really do make progress on achieving the great parks that this great city deserves.”

“I think we are poised at a place and time where we have a lot of potential and a really great opportunity to do so many great things. I value my relationships with all the women on the Council. It really is a unique situation to have a majority of women. It wasn’t like anybody set out to do that; I think we just found ourselves looking at all the women that were on the ballot. Everyone brings a specific world view and experience to the table, and it’s hugely important to have that level of diversity in all things as part of our decision making.”   

 

Ellen Troxclair

District 8

Ellen Troxclair is the youngest female to ever serve on Austin City Council, and her ambition to serve her constituents is hardly surprising. With an urgency to address issues that the people of her district, including Troxclair herself, feel have been neglected in the past, she is committed to finding solutions that have, in some cases, never been on the table.

“District 8, geographically, is Southwest Austin. We have a high stream of home ownership, which is significantly higher than what we have in the city as a whole. That’s why issues like the rising cost of living, when it comes to property taxes, in particular, are such hot topics. A lot of people are just really struggling to stay in their homes. We bear a lot of the propertytax burden for the city. Before the 10-1 system, I think a lot of my [constituents] felt like they weren’t getting a return on their investment, that they weren’t really getting the attention from the City that they deserve, which is the same way that the people outside the Central core felt.”

“Cost of living and transportation were really the two things that motivated me to run for office. We didn’t get into this overnight and we’re not going to be able to get out of it overnight, but I do think we’re taking steps in the right direction. I am really proud of some of the things that we’ve been able to accomplish to address cost-ofliving issues. I think that the average Austinite will pay less in total tax burden to the City because of my voice. That’s really important to me that I felt like I’ve made a difference. Also, I think we have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to our transportation infrastructure. The city is growing so quickly and our roads have not kept up with that pace of growth, and so, we need to invest.” “I think the change from the at-large system to the district-based system allows for true representation of the very different parts of [the] city that all deserve equal representation. It’s historic and I hope that for the people who didn’t support the change that we’re proving that it works and that we’re still able to get business done. We might have disagreements on issues, but those disagreements are really important to talk about because it leads to more thoughtful policies in the end.” 

 

Kathie Tovo

District 9

Kathie Tovo is the only Council Member to carry over from the previous Council, and her experience helped weave a seamless transition for the new City Council. Tovo, who was selected by her fellow Council members to serve as mayor pro tem, has been a longtime advocate for neighborhoods and continues to spotlight the diverse needs of her district’s residents.

“District 9 is the most connected in terms of linking boundaries with others. It’s unusual in that it runs north of the river as well as south of the river, and then east and west of the interstate in two places, at the northernmost corner and at the southernmost. It includes the city’s oldest neighborhoods, as well as one of the newest master- planned communities, over in Mueller. We’ve got a diverse mix of housing types and families, and I believe the highest percentage of homeless, as well as some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. It’s dynamic and probably the area of the city that’s undergoing the most development pressure and the most pressure for change.”

“Affordability is something I’ve had a focus on for a long time. I spent about 10 years in Bouldin Creek, and one of the things that was happening very rapidly in that area is the displacement of longtime residents. As the real-estate values went up, we saw many, many homes going on the market and people being displaced by the increasing property values. That’s something I’ve been talking about for years because I saw it firsthand. When I campaigned in 2014, for probably every other door I knocked on, that was their primary concern. Whatever neighborhood it was in District 9, they wondered how long they were going to be able to stay. Some of them had calculated, ‘I can probably stay here another two years. That’s about as long as I’m going to be able to afford my property taxes,’ or, ‘That’s as long as I’m going to be able to afford the rent increases I’ve been facing over the last few years.’ I’m really concerned with affordable housing. … I think it’s really critical to the kind of Austin we want to develop.”

“When I took office in 2011, I was sort of startled to hear that I was the 16th woman in all of Austin’s history. When I go out and talk to groups of students, that’s one of the facts that used to really grab their attention, and the fact that there had only ever been one woman who had served as mayor. I heard audible gasps among some groups, especially of young women who heard that information. It’s extraordinary that in one election cycle, we went from having 16 ever to an additional seven. Having a female majority says a lot about Austin and the kind of place that Austin is, and the opportunities that are here for women.”   

 

Sheri Gallo

District 10

As a fifth-generation Austinite, Sherri Gallo knows a thing or two about this city. A resident of District 10 for 50-plus years, Gallo has also been a small-business owner for more than 30 years. Her business acumen, combined with her longtime history with this city, pushes her to keep issues of affordability and fiscal responsibility front and center in all decisions.

“District 10 is a wonderful place to live, work, play and raise a family. It has the largest number of registered voters among all of the districts in the city. The District 10 population is very educated and engaged in how their City operates. As a result, residents expect an incredible amount of interaction with their Council member and district staff. My priority this past year and continuing this year is to offer the best communication options and to be as responsive as possible to our residents. My staff and I will continue to spend the majority of our time participating in office meetings, answering phone calls and emails, and continuing to be present at all of the District 10 neighborhood and homeowner-association meetings.”

“District 10 has several very high-profile zoning cases, such as Austin Oaks in Northwest Hills and the Grove at Shoal Creek in the Bull Creek area. My role continues as a participant in all of the many relevant meetings and as a source of encouragement for neighbors and the property owners to work together toward a positive outcome for the entire community. My hope is that with continued productive communication between all of the different voices in the neighborhoods, the project owners and my Council office, both developments will be innovative mixed-use urban communities, which are assets to the surrounding neighborhoods.”

“Being a part of such a collaborative, creative and intelligent group of women leaders has been one of the best experiences of my life. There have only been 16 women in the past elected to the Austin City Council prior to 2015. Adding seven women to the City Council during the same election and those women holding a majority of the seats on the 11-member Council are historic accomplishments.” 

 

Learn more about all districts and City Council members at austinwomanmagazine.com.

 

More information about Austin City Council To find out in which district you live, or to email the mayor or your City Council member, visit austintexas.gov/government. 

 

Office of the mayor  
Mayor Steve Adler
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2100

District 1
Council member: Ora Houston
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2101

District 2
Council member: Delia Garza
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2017
Phone: 512.978.2102

District 3
Council member: Sabino “Pio” Renteria
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2103

District 4
Council member: Gregorio “Greg” Casar
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2017
Phone: 512.978.2104

District 5
Council member: Ann Kitchen
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2105

District 6
Council member: Don Zimmerman
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2017
Phone: 512.978.2106

District 7
Council member: Leslie Pool
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2017
Phone: 512.978.2107

District 8
Council member: Ellen Troxclair
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2108

District 9
Council member: Kathie Tovo
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2019
Phone: 512.978.2109

District 10
Council member: Sheri Gallo
Office term: Jan. 6, 2015 to Jan. 6, 2017
Phone: 512.978.2110

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